Last week the Senate took an important step in giving vulnerable kids a chance to turn their lives around outside the penal system.

In a rare unanimous vote, senators passed the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act of 2017. The bill funds programs that keep kids out of the criminal justice system and establishes national standards for protecting youth that are already incarcerated from further victimization, potential abuse, and, perhaps, future offenses.

Earlier this year, the House demonstrated its commitment to such reforms by passing a similar bill, the Supporting Youth Opportunity and Preventing Delinquency Act. Both bills will now have their differences ironed out in a conference committee. The House version phases out a provision in current law that allows minors to be locked up for noncriminal behaviors — skipping school, smoking cigarettes underage, violating curfews, and running away from home. The Senate bill does not. We believe the House version is the better bill.

Kids mess up all the time. They should not have to face life-altering consequences for making childish mistakes like skipping school.

Both bills include important federal policy reforms -- for example, more stringent screening of boys and girls who may have been exploited by human traffickers prior to entering the system or who may have otherwise been abused. Both would prohibit the shackling of pregnant girls in detention. They also call for greater data collection, compelling states to provide reports on the use of isolation on juveniles in detention facilities. Both would insure that kids are subject to as little interruption as possible in their education.

If the Senate accepts the House protections, young people like Sarah, who started in the family court system as a victim of parental neglect and abuse, could be helped.

Sarah dealt with the trauma of her chaotic home life by skipping school. To teach her a lesson, a judge sentenced Sarah to five days in a juvenile detention facility. But the punishment was misdirected, because the underlying issues that caused Sarah to flee her abusive environment were never addressed. And so she continued to skip school and run away from home. Sarah ended up spending 40 days over a three-year period locked up for truancy and breaking curfew without ever having committed a crime.

Kids mess up all the time. They should not have to face life-altering consequences for small mistakes. Such policies are detrimental to society as well as the long term well-being of the child. A common sense juvenile justice system that prioritizes prevention and alternatives to incarceration reduces costs to taxpayers and increases public safety.

During this time of intense partisanship, recognition among Democrats and Republicans that our nation’s children need and deserve additional protections is a heartening glimmer of light. A version of this bill is very likely to become law. We want the best version to make it across the finish line.

Plain text

Anonymous

I had some trouble in my youth and early twenties. I was arrested five times. All of the charges have been dropped, through supervision or adjudicated. Iv has been on a narrow path for almost five years but it's still a challenge for me to find space between my past. Iv completed college my (2) year and my (4). I was wondering if you know any programs that I can help kids.

jenny

Clarier

HOW I GOT CURED OF ALS WITH oshogumspelltemple@live.com REMEDY

After using the drugs (Radicava (edaravone), riluzole (Rilutek) and daily Physical therapy) that my hospital gave to me and i was not cured then it became difficult for me to believe that i will survive. In the struggle of searching for cure help, i read from different post how the good DR OSHOGUM cure their virus within few days and also clean their skin . so, i contacted the Dr OSHOGUM with oshogumspelltemple@live.com which is the same contact address others used. He replied my mail within a short time with what he needs. He was very specific and brief. I sent him my details and pay for my cure remedy (medicine). From our discussion, i knew he can help me and he helped me. I receive the herbal cure he sent through UPS and i used he medicine following his instruction for use. my test result just came out negative.I will advice you to contact him today VIA his email: oshogumspelltemple@live.com .Note he also have cures to diseases like

Anonymous

Shut up troll.

September 6, 2017

2:28 PM

STANLEY

Back in the 1970s and 90s I donated blood to Life Source as frequently as possible. However, in 2000 they contacted me and told me they could no longer use my blood because I had contracted the hepatitis B virus. My doctor told me I probably contracted it through my husband who had ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Recently we tried herbal medicine from perfect health herbal medicine home,because they are so many positive testimonies online about perfect health herbal medicine home and am happy to say we got our life back totally. After about 6 weeks on it, we saw remarkable improvement.i went to my doctor to confirm if we are finally cured of chronic hepatitis B and my husband ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) behold it was TRUE,me and my husband was totally cured of both diseases, So viewers my advise is if you have such disease or any other at all you can contact them via Email:perfecthealthherbalmedicine @ gmail 'com or website www' perfecthealthherbal ' weebly ' com